Woman scamming cops nabbed
THE Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Tuesday announced the arrest of a woman accused of masterminding the multi-million peso “Wahana Investment Scam,” which defrauded hundreds of law enforcement officers, including members of the PNP, and the Armed Forces.
PNP-CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit chief Col. Randy Glenn Silvio identified the suspect as Maria Raissa Yap, a 34-year-old resident of Gen. Luna St., Pila, Laguna.
In a report to PNP-CIDG director Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro, the official said that Yap was arrested, along with her brother-in-law Dante Pradas, 46, at Blk. 1-B, Lot 1 in Brecia Subdivision, Bgy. West Fairview in Quezon City at 3:45 p.m. on Sunday.
Members of the CIDG-NCR Southern Metro Manila District Field Unit and the Q.C. DFU, with the help of officers from the AFP Intelligence Service, the NCR Police Office and the Q.C. Police District arrested the suspect.
Silvio said Yap was placed under arrest on the strength of 82 counts of estafa, with no bail recommended by the court.
Pradas turned out to be the subject of a warrant of arrest for reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property, with a P30,000 recommended bail.
The official said that recovered from the possession of the suspects was a white Nissan Terra SUV without license plates. The record of the motor vehicle is still being verified by the PNP-CIDG with the Land Transportation Office.
Ferro said the arrested woman is the wife of ex-police Cpl. Michael Yap, who was arrested last June 8, by members of the CIDG Rizal Field Office.
The couple was identified as the co-“co-founders” of the Wahana Investment Company, which was believed to have defrauded tens of millions of pesos from unsuspecting investors, many of them members of the police and the military.
Both have claimed innocence of the charges hurled against them.
The arrested suspects are undergoing documentation and investigation at the CIDG-SMMDFU Office pending their presentation to court.
